Cigarette package



May 8, 1962 J. L. LEBACH CIGARETTE PACKAGE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 15, 1960 IE1; 5A..

INVENTOR. Jflfl/V L. 16646 May 8, 1962 J. LEBACH CIGARETTE PACKAGE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 15, 1960 ICE- 5- INVENTOR. J0///V L. 55 466 United States atent C 3,033,419 CIGARETTE PACKAGE John L. Lebach, 18269 80th Road, Jamaica, NY. Filed Feb. 15, 1960, Ser. No. 8,578 6 Claims. (Cl. 221-87) This invention relates to a cigarette package especially a disposable cigarette package made entirely of paper or paper-like material.

Among the objects of this invention is to provide a disposable package for holding cigarettes or similarly shaped articles from which package the cigarettes may be released for dispensing one at a time, the package being so constructed that when a cigarette is released it is automatically partially expelled from the package.

This invention relates to a disposable cigarette package having a similar function to that disclosed in my US. Patent No. 2,491,617 which relates to a cigarette case. According to that patent each cigarette is held in the case under slight spring pressure applied longitudinally to an end thereof and is partially ejected from the case when a movable band containing an opening is moved into alignment with a particular cigarette. The cigarette case of said patent has to be loaded. The present invention obtains the same effect from a cigarette package which may be the original cigarette package prepared at the factory.

One phase of the present invention is based on the discovery that paper and paper-like materials can be folded to act as springs having a spring action suitable for at least partially ejecting cigarettes from a package. In this specification and claims the term paper will be understood to include paper-like materials such as regenerated cellulose film (cellulose), metal foils and plastic films such as those formed from cellulose esters, cellulose ethers, etc, and from resinous materials (Mylar etc.).

Among other objects of the invention is to provide a composite spring ejecting means of low cost suitable for incorporating in a disposable cigarette package.

Among other objects of the invention is to provide a crush-proof type of cigarette package which is still crushproof when the package contains only one or a few cigarettes and in which the number of cigarettes remaining on the package is readily apparent.

Among other objects of the invention is to provide for the ready ejection of a single cigarette by means of one hand which is especially useful for car drivers, for example.

The objects of the invention are attained by providing a cigarette case with a separate space for each cigarette with the spring means formed of paper at the lower end of each space and with readily removable confining means at the top of the package holding the cigarettes in the package against the action of the spring.

The paper spring means for all of the spaces in the package may be formed from a single sheet of paper.

Crush proof walls for the package providing separate chambers for each cigarette may be formed of fluted heavy paper; the fiuting increases the resistance of the paper to bending (across the flutes) as well as providing for the cigarette stalls. I

The paper for closing the top of the package and hold,- ing the cigarettes within the package is provided with tabs by means of which only the portion thereof holding a single cigarette may be removed. The tabs are arranged to dispense the cigarettes in a predetermined order and may also be positioned so as to prevent accidental ejection of a cigarette on removal of a single tab other than the tab holding the next cigarette in order.

In the drawing:

' tween adjacent chambers.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a package made ac cording to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a front side view of the package of FIG. 1 with a portion of the side cut-away.-

FIG. 3 is a rear view of a package similar to that of FIG. 1 except made for smaller cigarettes.

FIG. 4 is a horizontal cross-section view of the package of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a cut paper sheet showing how the sheet of paper is cut to provide the springs for applicants package.

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of three essential parts of the package.

FIG. 7 is a side cross sectional view of the base member taken on line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a side view of a modified form of paper spring means.

FIG. 8A is a top plan view of a modified case employing the springs of FIGURE 8.

FIG. 9 is a detail enlarged view showing how the springs fit into the package.

FIG. 10 is a top plan view similar to FIG. 4 of a modified form of package.

FIG. 11 is a partial view similar to FIG. 10 showing another modified form of top structure for the package.

The package shown in FIG. 1 is adapted to hold 20 cigarettes 10, in two rows containing 10 cigarettes each. It is obvious that one, two, three or a larger number of rows may be employed or that the number of stalls in each row may be increased or decreased as desired. The package is also shown without the trademark or labels, the trademark may be printed directly on the sides of the package or the basic package as shown may be wrapped with an additional printed wrapper.

The basic package as shown comprises a bottom 11, a wall portion 29 and a top closure portion 30. The bottom 11 comprises a base portion 12 of relatively stiff paper, a first set of folded paper springs 13 and a second set of folded paper springs 14. The folded paper springs 13 and 14 may all be formed of the same sheet of material as shown in FIG. 5. In this figure, a die cut sheet of paper is shown and the sheet is large enough to show one complete set of cut outs for spring members 13, 14, 15 and two partial sets 13, 14, 15 and 13", 14", 15". When formed in this way the spring members 13 and 14 are all integrally attached to the central base member 15 (15' or 15") which is approximately the size of the stiff paper base member 12. Before or after the portion 13, 14, 15 is separated from the remainder of the sheet each strip member 13 and 14 is folded back and forth a number of times and before or after folding strips 13 and 14 the base portion 15 may be attached to the still base 12.

The body portion 20 of the package is formed from relatively stiff fluted paper. The flutes 21 may be formed in the paper at the time of manufacture thereof from the fibrous paper composition or by reforming or molding a softened sheet of already manufactured paper. The central portion of the flutes 21 have approximately the same curvature as a cigarette. The body portion 20 comprises three vertical walls 22, 23 and 24 which may be separate pieces or may all be part of the same piece folded back and forth on each other. It will be noted, however, that the lines 25 connecting the flutes 21 in the outer walls 22 and 24 are sharper than in the center walls, the fiuting on the center wall being more like a sine curve or a series of opposite arcs of a circle so as to complement the flutes on both outer walls 22 and 24 to form cylindrical chambers 26 therewith. The circular chambers 26 are not complete- 1 1y enclosed but instead may comprise slit-like openings be Although the chambers are shown as being formed to accommodate cigarettes which are substantially circular in cross sectional shape it is obvious that they may also be formed to accommodate cigarettes which are oval or polygonal in cross section if desired. The term tubular with respect to the chambers will be understood to include chambers which are circular, oval, square, hexagonal, etc., in cross sectional shape. It will be noted that when the walls 22, 23 and 24 are fitted together the chambers 26 form two closely packed rows with the axes of the chambers in the first row substantially parallel to but intermediate the axes of their nearest neighbors in the second row. The sides of the body portion 20 also have attached thereto the straight strips 37 to which the closure top 30 may be attached.

A very satisfactory closure top 30 comprises a sheet of paper cut as shown to provide a series of tabs 31. At one end an opening tab 32 is provided which may be somewhat longer than the remaining tabs. These tabs 31 are integral with strip portions 33 which are separated from each other by lines of weakness 34 so that when a tab 31 is lifted its strip 33 tends to tear away from its adjacent strip along the line 34. The lines of weakness 34 may be obtained by perforating, sharp folding, partial cutting, etc. Preferably, the line of weakness is not continuous but is interrupted in an intermediate area 40 so that tearing of the same can be halted in the intermediate area 49. Tab 32 has a slightly wider strip 39 than strips 33 for reasons to be described below. Alternate tabs and strips 31 and 32 may be colored or decorated differently from the other tabs and strips. The top 30 may also contain suitable end tabs 35 and 36 to be sealed to the ends of the package. A very satisfactory method of sealing the top 30 to the sides of the package is by means of the strips 37, 38. Strip 37 being fiat holds the tabs 31, 32 in an accessible, position slightly spaced from the fluted wall 22.

In the top 30 of FIG. 6, the position of the cylindrical cigarettes have been included in dotted lines to show a packing arrangement for cigarettes in the final package which has some advantages. It will be noted that the first strip 39 which is wider than the succeeding strips covers the first cigarettes of the two rows and a small portion of the two second cigarettes of the two rows. The succeeding strips 33 are approximately the width of the rows. Thus, if any tab 31 and strip 33 is accidentally removed out of its regular turn no cigarette will be released since each cigarette after the first two are held in position by two adjacent strips 33.

Instead of cutting the springs 13, 14 (FIG. 6) from a single rectangular sheet of paper (FIG. the springs may be formed from a longitudinal strip of paper having thewidth required in the final spring. Springs 112 formed in this way from strip 100 are shown in FIG. 8. It will be seen that springs 112 are each of double thickness although the lower fiat connecting portions 115 are of single thickness. In this way springs of two or more times the resilience of single layer paper springs are obtained.

Preferably, the springs 13 or 14 are confined in the stalls in the manner shown in FIG. 9. The paper spring 14 made by folding a paper strip back and forth will have a greater tendency to bend out of the desired upright position in the direction of the arrow 18 shown in FIG. 9. There is almost no tendency for the spring to get out of alignment in a direction of arrow 1). Preferably, therefore, the springs 13 or 14 are so positioned that the folds 17 thereof face the solid portion of the confining walls or the sides and 23 for otherwise there would be a tendency for the springs to bend over and through the slotted portions 29 of the stalls. For this reason springs of the type shown in FIG. 8 are best suited for type of package shown in FIG. 8A. In this package of FIG. 8A, the stalls 50, 51 are formed between the bent strip 52 and the two side portions 53 and 54. Side portions 53 and 54 may be connected at the bottom to provide the bottom of the package.

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the top closure portion may take various forms. In the form shown in FIG. 10, the retaining strips 60, 61, 62 run lengthwise of the top. Each strip is provided with a tab 63, 6 tand 65 and perforations 66, 67 are provided between the strips.

The top closure structure shown in FIG. 11 is essentially an overlapping structure in which a single cigarette is removed as each of the tabs 71, 72, 73 are removed in order.

In operation the cigarettes are made and packaged being held in position entirely within the package against the action of springs 13, 14 by the sealing of the top 3t). The paper springs 13 and 14 retain their resilience for long periods of time, have no substantial weight and are inexpensive to manufacture. When the tab 32 is pulled to open the first portion of strip 33 up to area 40. Thereupon the first cigarette is released and pops out of the package about /2 to /4 for example under the action of its spring 13. Further removal of strip 39 released the first cigarette of the back row. Thereafter, the tabs 32 are removed in order to release the other cigarettes as needed. Until released each cigarette is held in its own crush-proof chamber and it is always a simple matter to see how many cigarettes remain without removing them from the package.

The feature and principles underlying the invention described above in connection with specific exemplifications will suggest to those skilled in the art many other modifications thereof. It is accordingly desired that the appended claims shall not be limited to any specific feature or details. thereof.

I claim:

1. In a package for holding and dispensing cigarettes and similar objects, the combination comprising at least two fluted paper walls adapted to define at least two substantially equal, tubular chambers therebetween, said tubular chambers being approximately the same length as the cigarette to be packaged, a bottom closure for the tubular chambers, at least two compression type spring means extending from said bottom upward, one in each of said tubular chambers, and a removable top portion adapted to hold cigarettes within the chamber against the action of said spring means, said compression type springs comprising strips of paper folded back and forth and a plurality of the folded strips of paper forming said springs being integrally connected to each other at the bottom of the package.

2. A package as claimed in claim 1 comprising three fluted paper walls forming two rows of close packed chambers therebetween.

3.111 a paper package for holding and dispensing cigarettes and similar objects therefrom, side walls adapted to at least partially surround the sides of each of the cigarettes, a bottom end Wall and a top closure means and paper spring means comprising a plurality of paper strips connected at a common end thereof, each of said strips being folded back and forth on itself a plurality of times to form a plurality of springs which resist compression, the connected ends of said spring means being attached to the bottom end wall and adapted to be held with their opposite ends in compression each against a separate one of the cigarettes or similar objects held within said side walls by the top closure means.

4. The paper package as defined in claim 3'wherein said top closure means comprises a paper strip with a plurality of substantially parallel lines of weakness separated a distance approximately equal to the spacing for the cigarettes to be held in said package.

5. The paper package as defined in claim 4 comprising at least two rows of spaces for cigarettes and wherein the parallel lines of weakness in the closure strip slant with respectto the length of said rows.

6. As a dispensing means for ejecting one or more articles from a package containing a plurality of articles held in said package in individual compartments, paper strip means comprising a plurality of strip-like extensions each of said strip-like extensions being folded back and forth a number of times to form spring-like elements which resist compression, a plurality of said spring-like extensions being formed from a single linear strip of paper, and each extension of said plurality comprising a doubled portion of said strip.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 961,692 Gilfillan June 14, 1910 6 Dula Jan. 15, 1918 Schleber Apr. 27, 1937 Crornelin Ian. 17, 1939 Feiss May 23, 1939 Lebach Dec. 20, 1949 Brownfield Nov. 5, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS Switzerland July 16, 1949 

